Analysis of the Current Situation and Factors Influencing the Integrated Care Needs of Older Inpatients With Impaired Activities of Daily Living: A Cross‐Sectional Study

Background Integrated care is a crucial strategy for addressing global population aging, with a core focus on being ‘person‐centered and demand‐driven’. However, research on the integrated care needs of older inpatients who are activities of daily living (ADL)‐impaired remains insufficient in China. Objectives To investigate the comprehensive care needs of older hospitalised patients with impaired ADL and to explore the factors influencing these needs. Methods This multi‐centre, cross‐sectional study included 1261 older inpatients with impaired ADL. Participants were surveyed using a general information questionnaire, the Barthel Index, and a comprehensive care needs questionnaire. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to identify the factors influencing their comprehensive care needs. Results The comprehensive care needs of older patients were moderate, with the highest demand for health guidance (3.12 ± 0.81) and the second highest for spiritual and psychological comfort (3.04 ± 0.97). Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that factors such as primary economic source, frequency of children's visits, ADL impairment level, number of chronic diseases, number of hospitalizations in the past year, multiple medication use, and urinary and faecal abnormalities were independent influencing factors (adjusted R 2 of 0.428, p < 0.05). Furthermore, 74.70% of the older inpatients with ADL impairment expressed a desire for more comprehensive integrated care services at community health centres in the future, with a focus on connecting to services, assessing health status and liaising with care resources. Conclusion The integrated care needs of older inpatients with impaired ADL are diverse and complex. Influencing factors include primary financial resources, family support and health status. It is recommended that clinical staff enhance medication safety guidance and psychological interventions, whereas strengthening multidisciplinary collaboration mechanisms; policy makers should expedite the establishment of a ‘hospital‐community‐family’ tripartite collaboration model, develop information‐sharing platforms and promote the adoption of integrated care models.